Towing

[Rivernut]

Bought new (to me) Explorer, 2 dr. to replace totalled truck. Very reputable 4x4 shop say's I dont need a tranny cooler and probably tow, on level ground, in overdrive. Now this goes against anything I was told in the past. 1200 lbs. boat,motor,trailer. ohc, 4.0 ltr.,410 gears. Just looking for any educated opinions. Towing cap. is 3800 lbs. Thanks.

[Valv]

You guys should get diesel trucks, I hookup my 30ft flatbed gooseneck, load-up 9,000lbs and take off down the road set cruise at 70mph in 5th gear (OD before) and do 15mpg....

[vermilionfox]

Valv,

I just love to hear someone brag like that

I have an E350 Ford van with a 5.4 Liter gas engine and an automatic. I get 10 to 10.5 mpg pulling my 8-1/2 foot wide, 22 foot long pontoon on its tandem axle trailer.

I don't use overdrive and seldom use the cruise.

I picked up 1 to 1.5 mpg by putting Air Tabs on the van, it was just over 9 mpg before that.

[Valv]

Honestly if you tow considerably you might want to include a diesel truck in your "hunt" for a vehicle, even if cost is higher to boot, you will get your money back just from what you save in mpg.

Vermillionfox, I didn't mean to brag about it, I was adding a smart@#$ remark, sorry

[VMS]

Valv,

What do you get with the diesel by itself or pulling a 3000# load? I have considered that route, but have bawlked at the higher price.. I don't lose a bunch with my HEMI from basic driving (I lose about 3mpg or so) and if I could save more, I might consider that route in a few years when it is time to replace the truck.

Steve

[vermilionfox]

Valv,

Brag away, wish I could get that kind of mileage!! It would help on my long tows to Lake Vermilion...800 miles or so each way!

[jltimm]

Valv, I agree with you 100%. If I were to purchase a full size truck I would be getting a diesel. If you use your truck for any type of work or pulling anything, a diesel should be a strong consideration. And yes, I'd be looking at the Dodge Cummins turbo. Other than worrying about the auto trannies on them, as I've heard that is the only thing that the Dodge Diesels have issues with?

[Valv]

Pulling a 3000lbs load is almost like going empty, if you get a 6 speed manual Dodge you will get approx 17mpg/18mpg, empty probably 19mpg.

I went backwards instead with my truck, I bought an older '96 12valves Dodge, and I cannot be any happier, I went to pickup another Dodge truck with my fletbed and I was doing 17mpg empty (trailer is 3500lbs empty) and 14mpg with a 700lbs truck on top of it, driving 65mph/70mph on interstate.

All the automatic diesels have lower mpg, we are talking around 16mph empty and probably 13mpg loaded (at least 8000lbs tow).

By the time you replace your Hemi, Dodge will have the new 1/2 diesel out, it will be a great truck.

As you can see I am a huge diesel fanatic, I bought a gasser Chevy 1 ton crew cab 2 months ago, and after I towed a small trailer I sold it immediately...7mpg !!!!

Transmission problems are an issue ONLY if you increase the power of the truck. It's very common nowadays (I do it too) to "soup up" diesel truck, and the first thing it happens your transmission gets toasted, regardless of which brand.

The Dodge 48RE it's a really good transmission, if you keep truck stock, even the famous Allison gets blown up when you add a 130hp tuner to your truck.

[Scott K]

I have a 02 f150, I get about 17mpg empty, I have a 28' enclosed, tall trailer. When I pull that I get 6-7 mpg, on a 200 mile drive. My brother has a 02 f350 7.3 with a power chip, he gets 23 mpg empty, and 20 mpg pulling my trailer. Thats a huge difference! I make this trip every 2 weeks in the warm weather season. When I buy again it will definatly be diesel!

[McGurk]

Quote:

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...even if cost is higher to boot, you will get your money back just from what you save in mpg.

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This is true if you are overcoming the premium applied to diesel lately. I have seen anywhere from $0.40 to $0.60 difference for regular unleaded to diesel. (hypothetical situation ahead) If gas is $2.50/gal, and diesel is $3.00/gal, you need to get better mileage to break even for the fuel price alone. Say; 18 mpg vs 15 mpg would cover it. That is not including the extra money you will have already paid to get the diesel engine upcharge($2,000-$5,000?). I love diesels for their durability, torque, and mileage, but to say they will pay for themselves is kind of misleading.

I would like to see a smaller inline 4 diesel used in smaller trucks too. The Jeep Liberty had an optional diesel for a while, and Audi/VW/Mercedes/(soon to be released in the US) BMW already have options for their cars. Most of the Dodge Sprinter's you see running around have diesels in them, too. We've come a long way from the Olds Delta 88 V8 Diesel that my Dad had back in the day, but the increased restrictions put in place by California have really hampered light trucks/cars from getting a diesel option affordably, today.

Valv, could you talk about the 1/2 diesel you mentioned? Thanks in advance.

[Scott K]

With the new low sulfer diesel fuel out now, car manufactures will be making alot more diesel cars soon!

[Cheeser]

McGurk, DaimlerChrysler has announced that they will be building a light duty turbodiesel Dodge Ram 1500 for 2009.

See below:

23 January 2007

At the Washington (DC) Auto Show, DaimlerChrysler unveiled the 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 heavy pickup truck with 6.7 liter Cummins turbodiesel engine which meets the US 2010 diesel truck emission standards, nearly 3 years ahead of the regulatory deadline. The truck, offered with B5 and B20 biodiesel, will be available to consumers in all 50 US states from March 2007.

The truck is the first BLUETEC vehicle from the Chrysler Group. It combines advanced in-cylinder technologies, including a Bosch flexible 1800 bar high pressure common-rail fuel system, Cummins next-generation cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and variable geometry turbocharger (VGT), with advanced exhaust aftertreatment technology. The aftertreatment system includes a close-coupled diesel oxidation catalyst, a NOx adsorber catalyst and a combined diesel oxidation/particulate filter. The engine also incorporates a closed crankcase ventilation (CCV) system. It is the first diesel vehicle on the market that meets the 2010 emission standards for heavy-duty engines (NOx = 0.2 g/bhp-hr, PM = 0.01 g/bhp-hr), and one of the first commercial applications of the NOx adsorber technology on a diesel engine.

DaimlerChrysler also announced that 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 3.0 liter common rail turbodiesel (CRD) will begin to arrive at Jeep dealerships in March; and that a clean, light-duty turbodiesel engine for the Dodge RAM 1500 pickup meeting emission standards in all 50 US states will be available after 2009.

The announcements were made today at the Washington Auto Show by Dieter Zetsche, DaimlerChrysler Chairman, and Tom LaSorda, chief executive of DaimlerChrysler’s Chrysler Group.

The Cummins clean diesel engines have been developed based on a nine-year partnership between Cummins and the US Department of Energy (DOE). Plans to start commercial production were announced last year.

Source: DaimlerChrysler

--Mark

[Valv]

Quote:

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Valv,

Brag away, wish I could get that kind of mileage!! It would help on my long tows to Lake Vermilion...800 miles or so each way!

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Vermillionfox, your request has been granted, check this truck out:

Dodge Cummins for sale

[vermilionfox]

Valv,

I'll send this along to the head decision maker and she what she says about another project. Looks like a good truck. The body work shouldn't be too hard, it's been a while but I think I could handle it. Glad it's white, easier to match up paint. I'd have to take a long weekend to come get it. Oh, and find a flatbed too.

[Valv]

If you find a radiator you can drive it home.

[vermilionfox]

Didn't think of that!